MY MOTHER-FLORENCE LOUISE JONES

                             Florence Louise Jones 1920-1959
                  daughter of William DeLay Jones and Nancy Marylou Kilgore Jones (Nannie)

  Some memories stay in your mind forever and some you would like to forget but that doesn't happen. On August 18, 1959, my mom had worked in her beauty shop all day and was going out to eat rather late. I had my first day of school the next day and I couldn't go. It was my second freshman year at East Rome High School as I didn't pass enough units for the 10th grade. She told me to get a bath and go to bed early so I piddled around for a while, watched a little TV and talked on the phone before bed. About 12:00, I heard someone banging on the front door so I thought mom had forgotten her key. I sat up in bed and then got up and went to the door. It was my Aunt Josie and she told me mom had an accident so we had to get to the hospital. I was scared as we rode to the old emergency room of Floyd Hospital. As we pulled in, Uncle Ed came out the big sliding doors and said, "She's dead." "What, no!! what happened," I cried. He said the car overturned and when it flipped, Mom went through the windshield. This can't be happening. This is a dream. Don't let it be real. It can't be real. Say that it's a lie. This only happens in the movies. But it was real. My Mother was dead. This beautiful woman who I adored was gone from my life. Not only did she leave me, but my 2 brothers as well. Larry and Kenneth were at home on East Second Street in front of the City Clock. Our cousins from Smyrna, GA, (David and Jimmy Hawkins) were spending a week up here before their school started. My dad met us at the funeral home with the coroner at Stevens Funeral Home on 6th Avenue before they transported her to Jennings Funeral Home on North Broad Street.
This was a nightmare that I had to get through. How can you do this when you are 15 years old. Picking out a casket at my age was not something I wanted to do. I should be picking out new clothes for school. New school supplies and meeting my friends at the Krystal on Broad for lunch. Maybe riding the bus to Paula's or Diane's house. The movies was even better but not this. Asking me questions about her hair and fingernails. Picking out a dress and flowers. I was just too young for this chore. But it was reality and I was numb. No more beauty shows with blue hair. No more facials. No more learning about make-up. No more shopping sprees for new shoes or dresses. No more going out to lunch or even to the drive-in.
Her body was taken to my Uncle Cliff's house for viewing and receiving friends until the funeral hour. I don't even remember who came to this or with whom I talked. I guess we had many relatives attend the house but I just don't remember. I don't even remember eating anything and I know there was plenty of food. My dad took us to my cousin's house in Gunnersville, Alabama to spend a couple of weeks to pull ourselves together and talked to the schools. We did not start on time that year. I don't know how they get around our absentee but nothing was ever said. For a few years, I was still in a daze. Nothing was right. I couldn't pick up the phone and call her. She wasn't standing in the door when I got home from school. I didn't know how to go forward from this tragedy. My best friend was gone from my life. Who could I talk to and tell about the new cute boys in my class or my new girl friend who just moved to town. How does life go on from here.
But I did go on and it wasn't easy. Boy did I make some mistakes and I mean whoppers. I was out of control and I didn't care. But I did survive. I had a rock in my dad who was more that a dad, he was also a survivor and he worked and took care of us. His family always came first. I didn't realize that until I got married. He did alot for us. I was his daughter, his first child and he loved me. That was all it took after I learned to accept it. His love and guidance. He was always there for me. Even though they were divorced, he stepped in and paid for her funeral. He didn't have to do that and most men wouldn't, but he was there and picked up all the pieces and put us back together. continued.